


You're Not a Monster, Not Really

by widowshulk



Series: Age of Ultron Countdown [14]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 17:58:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4069324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widowshulk/pseuds/widowshulk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha opens up to Bruce about her past as a Black Widow and tries to make Bruce understand how she feels about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Not a Monster, Not Really

**Author's Note:**

> As part of a countdown leading up to Age of Ultron, I wrote 18 short fics, from prompts, over 18 days.
> 
> Day Fourteen. Based on the prompt "Team + Things you said when you were crying"

“Every little girl, every normal little girl dreams about it. About the big wedding in a castle marrying a prince, and looking beautiful. I dreamt about killing. Killing my classmates to get ahead, to show them that I didn’t need to be hurt any more. The whole white picket fence thing? It’s not supposed to be me,” Natasha said, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Natasha, I’m so sorry,” Bruce said, pulling her closer to him.

“I’m a killing machine. An assassin. A Black Widow. I’m a monster.” She took a step back. “Just like you.”

“You’re not a monster. Not really.”

“If you knew half of what I’d done before I even got to SHIELD, you wouldn’t be saying that.”

“That’s not the Natasha I know. Not the Natasha I care about.”

“Now you know how I feel. About you. You see yourself as some monster that can’t be tamed. Some destructive force that could bring about the end of the world. But I see none of that. I see the man who spent years saving lives across the world. I see the scientist who’s always fighting for what’s right. I see a man with admirable morality.”

“Natasha-” Bruce interrupted.

“Let me finish. That’s not all I see. I see a Hulk. A force to be reckoned with. A creature created from the science of the man. A being so strong and so powerful that he has saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives. I respect you both. I trust you both. And I love you both,” Natasha finished, tears still in her eyes.

“I don’t… I can’t understand.”

“I know. I know you don’t. You’re always comparing yourself to others. You see Tony, a man with infinite resources and an ego the size of a continent. You see Cap, a soldier with super strength and a commanding presence. You see Thor, a god from another world with powers beyond science. You see all these men and decide you aren’t enough. Not compared with them. You don’t see yourself, you see a shadow version of Bruce.”

“I guess you’re right. I never thought of it like that.”

“Maybe you need to get away for a while? Escape to somewhere relaxing and understand the Hulk and yourself.”

“And leave the team? I couldn’t.”

“We’re our own team, doc.”

“You’d come with me?”

“Of course. After everything with Hydra and now Ultron, I think I need a break.”

“I don’t know.” 

“We could do the white picket fence thing. For a while. See what it’s like to be a normal, happy couple.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I want.”

Natasha took a step closer to him, her face millimetres away from his. She looked down at his lips, letting him know what she wanted. For a second he considered kissing her, but he didn’t trust himself. Not yet. She could still be hurt by him. Both of him. He couldn’t let her in. Not until he was sure.


End file.
